A new analysis by the Voter Participation Center of 2017 absentee voting and early voting in Virginia shows that key groups in the Rising American Electorate — unmarried women, people of color, and young people — have voted in higher numbers than they did in the 2013 Virginia elections. The RAE also commanded a larger share of absentee and early voting than they did in 2013.

“It’s great that Virginians are taking advantage of options to vote early and by absentee,” said Page Gardner, president of the Voter Participation Center. “Our democracy works best when people exercise their right to vote and have their voices heard. I’m encouraged to see higher levels of participation among the Rising American Electorate than 2013 in early voting in such a critical election for the future of the Commonwealth and the country.”